Running a church is big business in Africa. Listening to Obinim brag about his properties in Monday’s interview with TV3 should confirm that for you if you are a skeptic.
In this environment – Africans would believe ANYTHING in the name of religion apparently – it’s a no brainer that charlatans would thrive in the attempt to make some of that money for themselves.
A similar case occurred in Ghana a year or two ago, and now news from Nigeria indicate a similar group of fake miracle receivers have been nabbed by police.
The group of five were reportedly moving from church to church, where they would join the congregation and receive some prophecies from the ‘Man of God’ – all of which they would ‘confirm’ as true, displaying the miraculous power of the pastor.
They were grabbed after they got into an argument, which attracted some people nearby who uncovered their nefarious purposes. They were handed over to the Enugu Police command.
“One of the suspects, a female, maintained that they were recruited in large numbers and kept in a house at Onitsha, Anambra state. ” the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu told the media.
“From there they shuttle to various states of the country to confirm a prophecy for the purpose of winning more souls for the said church or ministry and that they are usually paid through their coordinator who hired the house and kept them there.
“According to her, they can be detailed to go to any state but the number of the link man in the said church/ministry is usually provided to them for easy connectivity on arrival and that they usually dialogue with the link man to the pastor of the church/ministry on the shape the job will take.
“She went ahead to reveal that they usually state their names, nature of problem they have and other necessary information which is given to the pastor of the church/ministry for his guidance and that during the prophetic hours, she will be among the people with the said problem that will come out.
“The pastor, then using the said information, will prophecy and she will confirm that before the congregation. She will be touched and she will fall and the pastor will then proclaim that the problem is all over. That way, members of the congregation will believe that the pastor is a powerful man of God and this will attract more members to the church.”